The fourth Catholic parish on the Upper East Side, St. Monica's was founded by John Treanor, pastor of the Church of St. Lawrence O'Toole (now the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola). James J. Dougherty was appointed the first pastor, and in 1880 he began conducting Mass over a feed store at 404 East 78th Street. The following year, he purchased land for the construction of the church and school. Construction of the first church building was completed in 1883.[4] In 1892, the address was listed as 409 East 79th Street.[5]
In 2015, the Archdiocese of New York ordered St. Monica's merged with St. Elizabeth's and St. Stephen's to better serve 21st century Yorkville. The merged parish, which holds services at St. Monica's, is known as The Roman Catholic Parish of St. Monica, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Stephen of Hungary.[7][8] As a result of the merger, St. Monica's parish boundaries shifted slightly.[9]
The Parish school is now St. Stephen of Hungary School, located just a few blocks away on 408 E 82 St.[10]
Buildings
The current Gothic Revival church building was erected in 1906 to the designs of Schickel & Ditmars, prominent church architects.[1]
In 1926, the rector Arthur J. Kenny had a three- and four-story brick school and convent with tile roof built at 410 East 80th Street, to designs of Thomas Dunn for $120,000 ($2,070,000 in current dollar terms). A three-story convent at 405–413 East 79th Street was built in 1955 to designs by Brown-Guenther-Booss for $275,000 ($3,130,000 in current dollar terms).[2]
Pastors
John Treanor (1879–1880)
James J. Dougherty (1880–1890s)
John J. Boyle (Acting Rector in 1890s)
James P. Hughes was assigned here (presumably as assistant) in 1904; while William S. Creedan was transferred from here to St. Andrew's Church (Manhattan)[11]